Car-starter



(No Model.)

Wye. TRUSsBLL.

GAR STARTER.

110.293,119. I Patented Fee, 45, 1,884.`

' .lm-mies, Pham-umm. wnningmn. u4 c.

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VVILBURT` C. TR-USSELL,OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-STARTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.,293,119, dated February 5, 1884.

` Application inca December 1o, less. (No man.)

'0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LWILBURT C. TRUssnLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston7 in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Starters, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an 4improved means for relieving the horses attached to astreet-car of the strain of the deadpull in starting the car after a stoppage.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this speoication, Figure l represents a longitudinal vertical section of a streetcar to which my invention is applied. Fig. 2 is a bottom or under side view. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the main feature of the invention.

Similar letters indicate like parts in the sev` eral figures.

a is the body of an ordinary street-car. b b are the wheels, and c the axles.`

To the axle cis firmly secured a ratchetwheel, d, which may be of any required diameter. e is an arm or lever, which is connected with a frame or yoke, t, attached to the axle c, so as to turn freely on the same, as shown in Fig. 3, The ratchet-wheel d is made in two parts, so as to enable it to be readily attached to the axle of the wheels without removing the latter from the axles. rlhe two parts of the ratchet-wheel are 4bolted together, as indicated at d@ Fig. 3.

'Fo the frame or yoke t is pivoted a pawl, i, which engages with the ratchetwheel d. Underneath the pawl 'i is a spring, k, which serves to keep the pawl off from contact with the ratchet-wheel d when not in use.

To the free end of thearm c is attached a rope or chain, j', which passes up over a pulley, h, in a frame, o, which is allowed a sliding motion, so as to adapt the rope to movement of the arm e. The rope f passes forward, and is attached toa pulley-block, a. To the pulley-block a is attached a rope, f,which passes through a pulley-block, m, having a double purchase, and, extending forward, is attached to a draw-head, o', which slides in a clevis, s. Over the end portion of the arm e is a crosspiece, a, through the ends of which pass rods or bars g, secured to a cross-piece, a', above. Surrounding the rods g are coiled springs, which serve to hold the arm e down. The normal position of the pawl 'i is away from contact with the ratchet-wheel d when the wheels and axle are in motion in the ordinary running of the car, owing to the spring 7l'. To bring the pawl into contact with the ratchet-wheel d, a cord, Z, is attached to the pawl i, and, passing through a hole in one of the arms or sides of the yoke t, is carried back and atthe starting of the horses the rope f will be tightened and raise up the arm c. The pawl t' will then engage with the ratchet-wheel d and cause the wheels to rotate, and thus effectually serve to start the car with the expenditure of much less .power or strain upon the y horses` than if the power is applied directly to drawing the car7 as usual.

I have described the above as applied to one set of wheels only. It will of course be understood that the same arrangement is to be applied to the other set of wheels to provide for the car going in the opposite direction.

Instead of the starting arrangement being effected by the draft of the horses, it may be effected by the driver, in which case the rope f will be operated by means of a windlass and pawl and ratchet connected to a crankbar arranged similarly to that by which the brakes are operated. More than one ratchetwheel and its connections may be connected with the axle.

My invention can be readily applied to street-cars, now in use without the necessity of changing any part of their construction.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a car-starter, the combination of the slid- IOS) 2 v 293mm ing drawhead r on the olevis s, the rope f', to this specification inthe presenoeof two subpulley-lolooks m n, rope f, pulley h, and slidsoribing Witnesses. ing frame o, lever e and yoke t, pawl z', and

ratchet-Wheel d, secured to the axle c, all op- TILBURT C' TRUSSELL 5 erating oonjointly, substantially as and for the lVtnesses:

purpose specified. Jos, H. ADAMS,

In testimony whereof I hwe signed my name E. PLANTA. 

